House Foreign Affairs chairman calls for more accountability after Benghazi

Clinton said Wednesday that four State Department officials are on administrative leave as the department weighs “next steps.” She said the review board did not find cause to automatically fire them.

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), the new ranking member on the committee, echoed Clinton's comments that attacks on U.S. diplomatic posts are not unusual.

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“I hope we can use this as an opportunity to seriously examine the steps we need to take to prevent a repeat of the tragedy in Benghazi, rather than engaging in 'gotcha' politics that make it more difficult to achieve this bipartisan goal,” he said. “We must do what we can to minimize the threats faced by our diplomats and aid workers, but we must also recognize that some risk is inherent in the practice of effective diplomacy. We can’t advance America’s interests around the world if we isolate ourselves behind embassy walls or limit the deployment of our diplomats to low-risk environments. Let’s not learn the wrong lesson from today’s hearing.”

Royce's criticism was more measured than what Clinton heard from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) a few hours earlier.

“I think ultimately with your leaving you accept culpability for the worst tragedy since Sept. 11,” Paul said. “If I'd been president at the time and I'd found that you did not read the cables from Benghazi, you did not read the cables from Ambassador Stevens, I would have relieved you of your post.”